Here I am, engrossed in the task of basting my Jane Stickle top! It was quite a peaceful and relaxing job, I must admit! I sat there, getting to know every single block again...kind of like reuniting with old friends!! Since I've been working on this for over five years, I found myself thinking a lot about events of the past while basting. Each block also brought back warm memories of choosing fabrics, learning new techniques and just enjoying the whole process of creating them.
I did run into a little problem while layering with the Hobbs Wool batting. Actually, it wasn't the batting that was the problem, but rather my inexperience in working with wool! I opened the bag, spread it out over the backing and wondered just how this crumpled, wrinkled mass of sheep fur was going to be part of my quilt!!! I put out an online call for help on the Dear Jane list, and with the advice of lots of great quilters, I was able to proceed! I misted the batting with room-temperature water and allowed it to relax for a couple of days. This was the best thing I could do! To my amazement, it settled right down, laying nice, flat and ruly! Now, it's become a wonderful, lofty filling for my quilt!
I just have to give a little plug here for Roxanne's Basting Needles!! I'm a huge fan...they're so great! They just glide through those three layers like a hot knife through butter! They're also nice and long, so you can get a good grip on them! I like to use cotton thread that I find in flea markets to baste with. Usually, I choose a contrasting colour that's not too hard on the eyes! Since this is probably going to take five more years to hand-quilt, I don't think I could handle anything too bright and distracting!!!
Kiki, as usual, is my trusty quilt inspector! She's been kind enough to give me the paws up for past projects!! Kiki has always been a great support throughout my DJ journey! Here she is, offering to do a bit of basting for Mom! I think she'd be good at it, because with claws like hers, who needs needles?!!
I did run into a little problem while layering with the Hobbs Wool batting. Actually, it wasn't the batting that was the problem, but rather my inexperience in working with wool! I opened the bag, spread it out over the backing and wondered just how this crumpled, wrinkled mass of sheep fur was going to be part of my quilt!!! I put out an online call for help on the Dear Jane list, and with the advice of lots of great quilters, I was able to proceed! I misted the batting with room-temperature water and allowed it to relax for a couple of days. This was the best thing I could do! To my amazement, it settled right down, laying nice, flat and ruly! Now, it's become a wonderful, lofty filling for my quilt!
Kiki, as usual, is my trusty quilt inspector! She's been kind enough to give me the paws up for past projects!! Kiki has always been a great support throughout my DJ journey! Here she is, offering to do a bit of basting for Mom! I think she'd be good at it, because with claws like hers, who needs needles?!!
